Coffee and Other Related Beverages
by ellociraptor
Summary: 10 years later, never having transferred to Dalton Academy, Kurt cuts off a stranger in a small coffee shop in Manhattan. These are the tales of what happens next.


A/N: Hello! Just a quick note, this is set New York City. Kurt and Blaine are 25 or so, and never crossed paths in high school. Essentially, Kurt never spied on the Warblers, and so never transferred to Dalton, and the two never met.

I don't own Glee, or New York, or anything else aside from the plot bunny that gnawed away at my brain until I got this down. Enjoy!

* * *

It was a dreary, greyish day in New York. Blaine strode out the doors of his office building, making a beeline for the coffee shop down the street. His hands were jammed in his pockets, the chilly spring air prodding him in the direction of his destination. His day had been hectic and full of meetings and all he needed was a good cup of coffee. Bluebird Coffee wasn't his favorite, but it was conveniently located only a few buildings away from his office. He stepped into the shop as the bell on the door alerted the baristas to his entrance, and joined the queue waiting behind the counter. The usual lunch hours were ending and the shop was beginning to clear as Blaine stepped up to the counter, opening his mouth to request-

"Hi, could I get a grande nonfat mocha please?" a voice rushed out as an unfamiliar man practically stumbled into Blaine, a scarf wrapped jauntily around his neck. He carried a stack of folders and papers in his arms, which somehow seemed secure and yet prone to flying out of his grasp at any moment. "Thank you so much."

Blaine reflexively took a step back, but was somewhat affronted by this sudden interruption. As the barista stepped away to begin fixing the coffee, Blaine gently cleared his throat. The man whirled around, allowing Blaine to get a better look at him. The offender was approximately the same height as he was, with delicate features. He was slender and extremely well dressed in a fitted suit and black pea coat. Most of these things, however, escaped Blaine's notice. The stranger's eyes were by far the most captivating feature he possessed. Somewhere between blue, green, and grey, they flickered in shock as he began to realize his offense.

"Oh my goodness I'm so sorry, I didn't even realize you were there. I'm such an idiot, honestly, sometimes I don't think before I act!" He spoke hurriedly, almost babbling in his embarrassment.

Blaine smiled politely, feeling much more forgiving than he had moments before. "Don't even worry about it. It's obvious you're in a rush, and I don't mind a few more minutes wait."

"No really, I can't believe I was so rude. At least let me make it up to you; I'll get your coffee." The man seemed intent upon fixing his mistake any way that he could.

"Oh no, you don't have to do that. I appreciate the offer, though."

"No I insist, it's the very least I can do. I can't stand the thought of being so rude." The barista was already returning with a steaming cup of coffee. Blaine could see through the barista's fingers that the name "Kurt" was scrawled on the side of the cup. The man had already turned back to the cash register and said, before Blaine had the chance to stop him, "I'll cover his coffee too, if that's alright."

Blaine was about to protest, but a stern look from his newest acquaintance- Kurt, he supposed- quickly changed his mind. "I'll have a medium drip please," he requested. "Thank you, I truly do appreciate it," he said as he turned back to Kurt.

"It's no trouble at all." Kurt carefully sipped his latte, despite the heat. "It's the nice thing to do, you know?" Blaine simply smiled in reply as the barista returned with his cup. Kurt turned to the register, handing the barista a few bills, as Blaine sipped his coffee. The bittersweet taste soothed him, putting him into an even better mood despite his turbulent day. He and Kurt headed towards the door, chatting a bit until they reached the street once again.

"Well, I'm off this way," Kurt indicated to the right.

"And I'm that way," Blaine laughed as he pointed left. "But thanks again for the coffee."

"No trouble at all. I've really got to get going, but it was nice to meet you, and I hope you have a wonderful day." Kurt began to walk backwards, waving goodbye.

Blaine waved in return before turning and heading back towards the office. He had only made it a few steps before acting on impulse and returning back the way he had come. "Kurt!" he called, walking towards the man, who was just handing a few bills to the vendor at a newsstand in exchange for a glossy magazine.

The man spun, an expression of confusion crossing his features. "How do you know my name?" he questioned.

Blaine was caught a bit off guard by the question as he focused on what he had been about to ask. "Oh, um, it's on your cup." He smiled with chagrin as Kurt spun his coffee to find his name scribbled on the side. "Anyways," he continued, "I hope this isn't too forward, but I was wondering if you'd like to get coffee sometime? Another time, I mean, besides just now, when we're not rushing off like this."

A million thoughts ran through his mind in the instant before Kurt smiled. Blaine let out the small breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he heard, "I'd love to."

"Um, great! If I could get your number, I'll give you a call soon?" Blaine wasn't even sure what was coming out of his mouth, he was too preoccupied by his thoughts of 'Oh my god Blaine, what are you doing? You don't do these sorts of things. You barely know him. Why are you doing this?' Kurt rummaged around in his bag before pulling out a pen and scrap of paper, scrawling a few words and numbers on it before handing it to Blaine. "Thanks," he heard himself say, "I'll talk to you soon!" He turned and walked quickly back towards his office, subconsciously hoping to get away before the other man could possibly change his mind.

"Wait! Uh, wait!" he heard behind him as he strode away. Spinning around, Blaine saw Kurt waving a bit as he tried to catch up. "What's your name?" he heard Kurt call after him.

"Blaine!" he returned, flashing a bright smile before swinging open his building's doors and stepping inside.

* * *

Blaine. His latest acquaintance's name on loop in his mind, Kurt practically ran down Madison Avenue towards his office. He'd been expected back ages ago, and his brief detour for coffee didn't help. He ran to catch an elevator once he'd entered the building, shifting anxiously as he waited for it to rise to the 27th floor. As soon as the doors opened he burst out and walked quickly to his office. He knew he must look a sight, but he was so distracted that he could not find it within him to care.

Kurt fell into his desk chair, dropping his stack of magazines and papers onto the surface in front of him. He settled back for just moments before the door opened and a whirlwind of papers, binders, and chestnut hair flew into the small room.

"Oh thank god, there you are. I've been fending off calls all afternoon but Garrett from Moschino simply won't go away, he wants you to call him back about pieces for the shoot with Chloe Sevigny next week. The new books from Versace and Gucci are in, finally, and that piece you wanted from Christine Brandt's latest collection is due in first thing tomorrow morning." The petite (though you couldn't tell from the height of her Jimmy Choos) brunette piled a stack of memos plus two very large binders onto Kurt's desk as she spoke rapidly. "I don't know why you insisted on getting your own coffee, you know we can just send the interns out to get it," she scolded with a frown.

Kurt shuffled through the memos he'd just received with a shrug. "Why send interns to inevitably mess up what you can do perfectly well yourself?" he said, leaning back into his chair. "Besides, I picked up a copy of this month's Vogue while I was out. I've been meaning to read it for a week now."

The woman eyed him suspiciously. "What's got you in such a good mood? Usually when you're this late you bitch at me for hours." Kurt only shrugged, reading through a particularly lengthy note. When he glanced up again and saw the look on her face, he knew he was in for the Spanish Inquisition.

"Come on, spill. What happened?" She tapped her foot impatiently, any further messages forgotten.

Sighing, Kurt turned to his assistant. "Sophie, there's nothing to tell. I just ran into some guy at Bluebird and we had a nice conversation. That's it."

"Kurt, I know exactly when you're lying and that is not _it_ and you know it."

"Oh alright. I accidentally cut him in line so I bought his coffee. After we parted, he came back and asked me to get coffee sometime. I gave him my number and he left. _That's_ it. Happy?" Try as he might to look annoyed, Kurt couldn't keep a smile from his features.

"Now that's more like it. Oh Kurt, this is so great!" Sophie gushed a little, widening Kurt's grin.

"I know, I know. Now shoo, I need to start on this if I'm going to be out in time for dinner with Kelly tonight. There's no way I can reschedule that if I want her to photograph my next shoot, the one for July's issue." Kurt was already opening one of the newly delivered look books and flipping through the pages.

"Alright, alright, but you had better keep me posted!" Sophie flew out the door just as quickly as she had entered, closing it behind her.

Kurt smiled to himself as he began to dial the number Sophie had jotted down on his first message. Bluebird Coffee was officially his favorite coffee shop.

* * *

_Kurt Hummel_

_212-573-8241_

Blaine stared down at the scrap of paper in his hand. Was it too soon to call- only a day after they met? Or did Kurt think he'd forgotten about him already? Blaine had never been very good at this sort of thing. Taking a deep breath, he punched the numbers into his cell phone and pressed the call button before he could change his mind. The dial tone buzzed in his ear a few times, and Blaine started to worry Kurt might not pick up a call from a foreign number.

"Kurt Hummel." Blaine started as his call was answered; he had been sure that Kurt was going to ignore the call.

"Oh, hi, this is Blaine Anderson. We met yesterday, you know, at Bluebird?"

"Oh!" Kurt's tone instantly grew warmer, causing a slight smile to appear on Blaine's face. "Yes, I remember. How are you?"

"I'm doing well, thanks. And yourself?"

"Well enough, thanks, though work's been a bit hectic."

"I know the feeling. Anyways, I was hoping to take you up on that coffee we talked about? Say, maybe, Saturday afternoon?" Blaine really hoped his nerves weren't apparent in his voice, though he was utterly confused as to why he was so nervous about going out for coffee.

"Definitely! Well, I'm at least eighty-five percent sure I'm free on Saturday."

"Eighty-five is a good number, I can take that," Blaine laughed. "So I'll see you at Bluebird at- hmm, two sound good?"

"Two is perfect. So Bluebird, Saturday?"

"Absolutely. I'll see you then!"

As he hung up the phone, Blaine couldn't resist the huge grin that spread across his features as he thrust his fist up in the air in success.

* * *

"No, you're definitely lying. A person can't possibly get that many things wrong at once!"

Kurt smiled at the man sitting across from him. He and Blaine were huddled in a small booth at the back of Bluebird. "Oh, but he did. We had at least 50 extra pairs of Louboutins for the shoot, the makeup artists were ready to quit, and on top of it all, my jacket was drenched in my coffee. It was the worst shoot I've ever been to. I tried so hard not to snap at him, but spilling coffee on an Alexander McQueen? That was the last straw. Poor kid never had a chance. I made some mistakes back when I was an intern, but not nearly as many on the same day."

Blaine shook his head in amusement, amber eyes glinting. "Oh, I'm sure you were a force to be reckoned with. Honestly, I'm a little jealous. My job is not nearly as entertaining."

Kurt's curiosity was piqued. This was the third time he and Blaine had met for coffee, and the man almost never spoke about his job. Kurt knew he was a lawyer at a firm located nearby, but that was about it. "What exactly do you do? You've never quite told me."

"Well, it's not nearly as glamorous as Harper's Bazaar," Blaine seemed to blush lightly. "Mostly I just do in-house counsel for Transway Airlines, reading contracts and helping them negotiate. It's interesting enough, just a lot of reading, editing, and phone calls. I know a lot more about planes and flying than I ever needed to, really."

Kurt nodded thoughtfully. "That sounds interesting. How did you get into law, if you don't mind me asking?"

"My father was a lawyer, and it's what he always wanted me to do," Blaine shrugged casually, nudging his glasses up his nose. "I just got lucky in that I happened to enjoy it. In high school I always wanted to be a public defender, or do some pro bono work and help the homeless."

"That sounds quite noble of you," Kurt remarked with a twinkle in his eye. "So how did you end up with Transway?"

"I got to law school and things changed. I became interested in contract law, and just changed my mind. It didn't hurt that the pay was more than triple, of course, and student loans were killing me. In the end I think it all turned out ok, though; I like where I am now."

Kurt simply nodded in response, taking a sip of his now chilly latte. He and Blaine had been talking for at least an hour now, coffee mostly forgotten. It seemed that no matter how mundane the detail, Kurt was always interested in anything about Blaine's life. The man just seemed to have this magnetic pull about him that Kurt just couldn't get enough of. Now that they were on the third of their coffee dates- were they dates? Kurt couldn't be quite sure- he was positive Blaine must have some sort of addictive quality. He was like nicotine, and Kurt was hooked.

"Oh, I love this song!" Blaine exclaimed, bobbing his head along with some unheard beat. His short curls were bouncing just a bit as he did so.

Kurt looked around him, searching for the sound as if he could see it. "What song? I can't hear anything." The cozy shop was rather full for a Tuesday afternoon and all Kurt could hear was the baristas making coffee and the buzz of conversation.

"You don't hear it? They're playing Lizstomania. It's one of my favorite songs by Phoenix. _Follow, misguide, stand still, disgust, discourage!_" Blaine was still bopping along to the song, singing to Kurt.

Kurt's cheeks reddened lightly, but he was more concerned with how incredibly dorky yet wonderful Blaine looked right about now. His companion had seemed rather reserved at their previous meetings, though still friendly. Watching Blaine let down his guard just the slightest bit made Kurt feel like he was seeing much more than Blaine usually let on. "I have no idea what song you think you're hearing, clearly I'm entirely deaf. Lack of hearing aside, I probably would have no idea what that is. My iTunes library consists entirely of musicals and show tunes. Now, if they were to play Good Morning Baltimore, I can assure you I would be serenading you in a heartbeat."

"Hairspray, very nice choice. Personally I prefer Avenue Q, but Ladies' Choice has that kind of old school '50s vibe that I love." Blaine countered with a grin.

And they were off; Kurt heavily defending the genius of Shaiman and Wittman while Blaine swore that Lopez and Marx were much more groundbreaking songwriters in the Broadway world. The way the two offset and matched each other was a testament to their compatibility.

Kurt was amazed at how time seemed to fly by, and soon he was distracted by a loud beep from his iPhone. He pulled it out of his pocket while telling Blaine, "I know, it drives me crazy when people do that!" Kurt saw that he had an incoming message from Sophie. Opening it, he laughed aloud as he read her message.

_Covered for you today, will email you about mtgs later. Enjoy your coffee and company ;) –Soph_

"Oh, goodness, I had no idea it had gotten so late! Do you need to go? I'm sorry I kept you so long," Blaine apologized profusely.

"No, not at all. Just a text from my assistant letting me know she covered for me today so we'd have more time. I could use another coffee though, if you don't mind staying for a little while longer?" Kurt prayed that Blaine would agree; he always enjoyed talking with the man for as long as he possibly good.

"Of course," he said, and the two stood to order another round. They waited in line behind three older women speaking rapid German. "Mmm, that brownie looks absolutely delicious," Blaine remarked, staring at the pastries set out in the glass display case, eyeing them hungrily. "I have a serious sweet tooth sometimes, chocolate is my kryptonite," he said as glanced back at Kurt almost apologetically.

"Oh, then you ought to try the chocolate mousse at this little French restaurant I know of, it's absolutely heavenly. It's honestly the best mousse I have ever had in my life." Kurt wasn't a huge fan of sweets, but chocolate mousse was his downfall. "It's definitely my favorite restaurant, though not only because of the mousse."

"Well, maybe we'll have to go sometime," Blaine smiled. "If it's really that amazing, you can't hold out on me." He stepped up to the counter to order, leaving Kurt grinning broadly. He couldn't help it; the man had that effect on him.

They returned to their table and continued to chat lightly as the sun went down outside their window. All too soon, Blaine had to leave for a business dinner and they were standing to shrug their jackets on.

"I hope we can do this again soon, I had such a good time this afternoon." Blaine said as he wound his scarf around his neck.

"Of course," Kurt agreed immediately. He always looked forward to their little coffee dates; they were the best part of his week. "Maybe on Saturday? Actually, you know what? I have an idea. What are you doing Saturday night?" Kurt truly hoped his voice wouldn't betray how nervous he was.

"Nothing aside from sitting on my couch watching terrible TV, why?" Blaine quirked his eyebrow with a wry smile, and Kurt's hands began to sweat.

"Let me take you to that restaurant I was telling you about, the one with the chocolate mousse. I'll pick you up at 7?" Kurt swore he wasn't breathing anymore, but his words sounded a lot more confident than he expected them to.

"Sure, I'd love that. I've got to run, but I'll see you Saturday!" Blaine waved and exited Bluebird, walking out to the curb to hail a taxi. Kurt was left standing by their booth, frozen as he watched Blaine's taxi drive away. He stood still, watching the taxi beyond curves he couldn't see, head filled with thoughts of the way Blaine's tawny eyes had danced when Kurt had asked him to dinner. He stirred as a loud clang erupted behind him, the sound of a metal fork hitting the tile floor. Kurt glanced around absently before releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding and followed Blaine's footsteps out the door of the coffee shop. He couldn't wipe off the beam that spread across his features.

He and Blaine were going on a date.


End file.
